Glass Is Back And Google Has Big Plans In Health

John Nosta
, ContributorOpinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Google

Google Glass 2.0

Remember Google Glass?

Today, Google announced a new chapter in the life of Glass for use in a variety of industries including manufacturing, logistics, field services and healthcare. The new design is now more comfortable for longer wear and also has a longer battery life. Google has spent the last two years working with 30 partners to build customized software and business solutions for Glass for people in these fields.

And medicine clearly stands out!

As project lead Jay Kothari wrote in today's blog, Glass can play a key role in helping healthcare professionals:

Doctors at Dignity Health have been using Glass with an application our partner Augmedix calls “a remote scribe.” Now, instead of typing on a computer during consultations, they can connect with patients by looking them in the eye, listening as they talk and asking questions — all with confidence that all the note taking work is being done in the background. Dignity’s Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Davin Lundquist says that in addition to improving their quality of care, Glass has also reduced the time they spend typing up patient notes and other administrative work from 33% of their day to less than 10%, while doubling the amount of time they interact with patients.

Rafael Grossmann, M.D., a Glass innovator, has already captured the moment as "the rise of the Phoenix" and has expressed strong support in his surgical practice:

For many of us, Google Glass has never been dead. I've been using Glass in clinical medicine and medical education for several years with great success. Today marks a the beginning of new journey to empower today's and tomorrow's physician.

It's been an interesting ride and it seems the Glass is back on a track—but a different track. This time, the new model and strategic approach many give Glass a better chance for adoption. While its initial introduction to the consumer was met with both acclaim and ridicule, today's announcement suggests that Google listened and evolved.